Ziaur Rahman

Ziaur "Zia" Rahman (19 January 1936-30 May 1981) was President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981, succeeding Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem and preceding Abdus Sattar.

Biography
Ziaur Rahman was born on 19 January 1936 in Bagbari, Bengal Presidency, in British India (present-day Bogra, Bangladesh). In 1955 he graduated from the Pakistani Military Academy in the top ten percent of his class and he was made a 2nd Lieutenant. He helped to raise East Pakistani (Bangladeshi) units in the Pakistani Army while serving as a military instructor, but in 1971 he led Bangladeshi forces in the Bangladeshi Liberation War. Rahman's leadership of the nascent Bangladeshi Army led to a victory over the army of Pakistan and independence for Bangladesh. In 1975 Mujibur Rahman was brutally assassinated and Ziaur became a temporary government minister. In 1977 he was elected to the presidency, and he improved ties with China, Pakistan, and other Islamic nations while distancing Bangladesh from India.

Death
Although he was a popular politician, Rahman put down army opposition and the Awami League and Mukti Bahini irregular veterans opposed him. On 29 May 1981 he visited the city of Chittagong, and while staying at the Chittagong Circuit House, he was killed with six other people by army officers.